This invention relates to an electro-acoustic connector for use with musical instruments adapted to be connected to an electronic amplifier. The electro-acoustic connector is adapted to control transmission of electrical signals generated by a transducer, such as an electro-magnetic pickup, vibration transducer or piezoelectric element, associated with the musical instrument or by a microphone contained in the electro-acoustic connector adapted to receive soundwaves from the musical instrument.
Musical instruments, such as a guitar, which are adapted to be connected to an electronic amplifier normally have a transducer, such as an electro-magnetic pickup, vibration transducer, or piezoelectric element, which is connected by a patch cord to a jack receptacle mounted in the body of the musical instrument. Normally, a jack connected to the electronic amplifier is inserted in the jack receptacle for the transmission of electrical signals from the transducer to the amplifier. The body of the guitar or other instrument is normally made of solid wood and does not have a soundwave amplifying chamber.
The sound emitted by the amplifier-speaker connected directly to a transducer, such as an electromagnetic pickup, vibration transducer or piezoelectric element, associated with a musical instrument has different characteristics compared with the sound generated by an amplifier-speaker connected to a microphone responsive to soundwaves generated by the same musical instrument. The electro-acoustic connector of the present invention permits the musician playing a musical instrument designed for use with an electronic amplifier to conveniently control the transmission of electrical signals to the amplifier from both the transducer associated with the musical instrument and the microphone, thereby controlling the quality of the sound emitted by the speaker.
It is known in the prior art to modify the musical instrument by installing a microphone in or on the musical instrument with a jack receptacle for connection by a patch cord to an amplifier.
An object of the present invention is an electro-acoustic connector adapted to transmit electrical signals directly from a conventional transducer such as an electromagnetic pickup, vibration transducer or piezoelectric element mounted on a musical instrument directly to an electronic amplifier and/or receive soundwaves generated by the musical instrument and convert said soundwaves into electric signals for transmission to said amplifier without modification of the musical instrument.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electro-acoustic connector having a jack which may be inserted in the conventional jack receptacle in the body of the musical instrument and which is adapted to receive and transmit electrical signals from the transducer of the musical instrument to the amplifier and/or receive soundwaves from the musical instrument, a microphone disposed in the electro-acoustic connector being responsive to the soundwaves and generating electrical signals which are transmitted to the amplifier.